Halloween: Fun and Interesting Facts

It's Halloween with Jack-O-Lanterns, candy, and costumes ready, let the trick - or -treating begin! Kiddos all over East Texas are anxiously awaiting tonight. Be careful driving through neighborhoods tonight and watch for all the little ghosts and goblins! Check out some of these fun and interesting facts about Halloween.

Since its invention in 1898 by the Herman Goelitz Confectionary Company of Fairfield, California (now known as the Jelly Belly Candy Company), candy corn has been very popular—so much so that today, nearly 35 million pounds of candy corn are produced each year.

It was just tricks—no treats—for Charlie Brown in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. In the 1966 TV special, he utters, “I got a rock,” while trick-or-treating. The phrase went on to become one of the most famous lines in Peanuts history.

From its vampy costumes and sweet treats to macabre household decorations, Halloween is big business. So big, in fact, that it’s the second-largest commercial holiday in America—only Christmas surpasses it in sales. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers spent $5.8 billion in 2010, and are expected to spend upwards of $6.9 billion this year.

In 2010, Belleville, Illinois, became the latest city to ban trick-or-treating for kids over 12. Teens can face fines from $100 to $1,000 for going door-to-door (although according to officials, more often than not, over-age Halloween-goers are just given a warning).

Got leftover Halloween candy? Save it for later! Dark and milk chocolates can last up to two years if stored in a dry, odor-free spot. Hard candy can last up to a year, while unopened packages of candy corn can last nine months.

I hope you guys get tricks and no treats tonight! Be safe and Happy Halloween!